In recent years, communications and computer equipment such as computers, personal digital assistants, pagers, cellular telephones, handheld messaging devices, facsimile machines, copiers and printers (collectively referred to herein as computer devices) have become increasingly affordable and abundant. As computer devices have become increasingly prevalent, technologies for connecting computer devices to other computer devices have also become more pervasive. For example, it is common today for office computers to be connected together in networks with other computers, printers, copiers, facsimile machines, data storage devices, Internet web servers, and other computer devices.
The trend toward increasingly interconnected networks of computer devices is expected to increase in size and scope. For example, more businesses and households are implementing wired and wireless computer networks for connecting multiple computers, printers, handheld messaging devices and other computer devices into computer networks. In addition, common household devices, such as refrigerators, laundry appliances, heaters, air conditioners, lighting systems, and home entertainment systems are being developed that include computer networking technology to add features and expanded control over such devices.
Computer networking offers numerous advantages to users and system administrators. For example, users may easily communicate with one another, exchange data, and share computer resources, such as Internet access, data storage devices and printers. System administrators benefit by being able to more efficiently utilize computer resources, and by being able to have greater access to and control over computer devices coupled to the network.
When a user of a computer device on a computer network wishes to communicate with another computer device on the network, the user typically must consult a list containing information about available devices. For example, if a user of a networked office computer wants to send a print job to a networked printer, the user typically must first browse a directory containing a list of available printers, select one of the printers by name, network address, or other form of network identification, install a printer driver for the selected printer on the user's computer, and then issue a print command to the selected printer. The information in the list of available devices is typically compiled by a network administrator, who often must manually maintain the list, and frequently may organize the computer devices into one or more groups depending on user demand and availability of resources. For example, as printers are added to and removed from a network, or to and from groups within the network, the network administrator typically must manually update the information in the printer list.
Such manual techniques for managing access to information about networked computer devices has become increasingly complex and burdensome as network devices have become more highly mobile, and wireless networking has become more abundant. For example, an Internet café or airport lounge may provide a WiFi hotspot for wireless network access by mobile computer devices, such as laptop computers that include a wireless network adapter. As the number of computer devices connected to a wireless network may continually change, the network administrator must continually monitor and revise lists of information about connected devices. Such continuous monitoring and modification consumes substantial time and resources.
To address problems associated with such manual techniques, some previously known techniques seek to provide automatic network configuration. For example, Rendezvous™ by Apple Computer, Inc., Cupertino, Calif., U.S.A., is a networking technology based on zero configuration network technology that automatically connects electronic devices on a network. In particular, Rendezvous allows devices on a secure network to communicate with one another and automatically find and configure resources. This technique, however, has several limitations. First, Rendezvous requires that devices continually communicate their availability, which consumes network bandwidth and makes the technique sensitive to network status. Second, Rendezvous only functions on a local network, and cannot be used to configure resources across wide area or public networks.
Indeed, as the number of computer networks has increased, the advantages of permitting communications between computer devices on different networks has also increased. For example, a first company may include its computers, printers and other networked computer devices on a first computer network. The first company may seek the services of a second company that may include its computers, printers and other networked computer devices on a second computer network. If the first and second networks each are connected to a public network, such as the Internet, computer devices of the first and second network potentially may communicate with one another via the Internet.
Although such internetwork communication may be desirable, currently available methods for managing access to information about internetworked computer devices have numerous disadvantages. In particular, existing methods for providing access to information about computer devices on disparate networks are not generalized across platforms or networks, and often require homogeneous network and client environments to properly function. Thus, in the previous example, if the first network uses the transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (“TCP/IP”) communications protocol, and the second network uses the AppleTalk communications protocol, providing users with access to information about computer devices on both networks may be extremely difficult. In addition, for security purposes, most computer networks are designed as closed environments that limit access from computer devices outside the network. Thus, existing techniques for providing network information to devices outside the network typically require opening the network for public access, thereby compromising network security.
One such previously known technique is used in PrinterOn™ technology, by PrinterOn Corporation, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. PrinterOn provides network-based printing solutions for printing over the Internet, but requires that a print network administrator manually configure a list of available printers in a directory on a public server. Unfortunately, however, PrinterOn has several disadvantages. First, the technology does not automatically map network users to printers on the same network, but instead requires use of a manual search engine to discover available printers. If the print network administrator modifies the print network but fails to update the directory on the public server, however, the search results may provide false results. Second, PrinterOn requires allowing external connections into the local network, which potentially compromises network security. Thus, PrinterOn does nothing to simplify network device discovery, and provides print services at the expense of network security.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide systems, methods and apparatus for automatically providing information regarding network computer devices.
It further would be desirable to provide systems, methods and apparatus for providing information regarding network computer devices on a network without requiring intervention by a network administrator.
It additionally would be desirable to provide systems, methods and apparatus for providing information regarding network computer devices on a network without degrading network performance.
It also would be desirable to provide systems, methods and apparatus for providing information regarding network computer devices on multiple networks without compromising network security.
It moreover would be desirable to provide systems, methods and apparatus for providing information regarding network computer devices on multiple non-homogeneous networks.